The Dauphin Island Sea Lab’s (DISL) mission encompasses the pursuit of excellence in marine science education, marine research, coastal zone management policy and educating the general public through the Estuarium, our public aquarium.

The Presidents of Chief Executive Officers of the Member Institutions across the state of Alabama serve as the DISL’s Board of Directors, which determines the general policies of the Sea Lab. This board is know as the Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium. You can find that listing here: Marine Enviromental Sciences Consortium.

The Dauphin Island Sea Lab Foundation (DISLF) supports the Dauphin Island Sea Lab in its mission, “to provide wise stewardship of the marine environment through education and research”. The foundation provides funds to sustain the activities of the Sea Lab and promotes awareness of the Sea Lab and its environmental issues. The Foundation is also continuing to build the George C. Crozier Endowment as well as the DISLF Endowment for the Dauphin Island Sea Lab.

The BayMobile is DISL’s science classroom on wheels, whose mission is to visit underserved schools in the state of Alabama which do not have the opportunity or the means to visit the Dauphin Island Sea Lab on a field trip.

While the DISL serves as the focal point of graduate education in marine science in the state of Alabama, it is not a degree-granting institution, and graduate degrees are offered through ten of the 22 DISL Member Schools.

Since 1971, Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL) personnel have collected valuable environmental and ecosystem level data as part of research and monitoring efforts in the fields of oceanography and ecology. These data are highly valuable to researchers, educators, managers, policy makers, and the general public.

The Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL) has been a practicing member of American Academy of Underwater Science since 1992 and currently provides scientific diver training and oversite for all participating schools within the Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium (MESC).

One of 12 consortia funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) and led by the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, ACER is comprised of 17 research scientists from nine universities investigating how biodiversity influences an ecosystem’s resilience. Specifically, the ecosystems of the northern Gulf of Mexico to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

The Estuarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab hosts a number of events for the public. The free, twice-monthly Boardwalk Talk program offers the public a chance to engage with the experts at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. The Summer Excursion program takes visitors into the habitats studied by our marine scientists, researchers and students at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab.

For people who enjoy meeting a wide range of visitors, and who love to share their enthusiasm for the environment, the Estuarium provides a wonderful opportunity to get involved. The Docent/Volunteer program offers a chance to volunteer within the Estuarium and also to help maintain the campus gardens.

Discovery Day is the Dauphin Island Sea Lab’s open house for the public. Once a year, the public is given a tour of our research facilities to learn about our coastal environment and the research our team is working on.